Harnessing the Power of Online Networking to Reverse the Epidemic of Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is a problem of epidemic proportions in the United States, with rates more than doubling in the last thirty years. Online networks provide a platform for professionals to organize and address this multi-faceted issue. PreventObesity.net was started by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation to create a network of professionals who are collectively working to create environments and policies that support healthy eating and active living. PreventObesity.net strives to connect leaders and advocates in academia and healthcare, community organizers and community members in order to leverage their combined influence and drive community change. Through a series of online networking tools, the site seeks to create a more effective movement for change and make it easier for all advocates to know and capitalize on current activities, strategies, successes and lessons learned. This presentation will discuss case studies of how virtual community members have used site tools to mobilize change. Highlights will include a review of the Blogger Outreach tool, which helps users isolate and rank which blogs are most influential and active in the topics of interest. Such tools help organizations target online advertising and effectively engage online audiences in the movement. Cell phone tools are a new way to reach and connect leaders around common interest and geography. This ubiquitous technology is a new way online platforms can mobilize and integrate their virtual community into the lives of members. Last, the discussion will show how community members can customize and create smaller communities around their interests using “widgets”.